William “Uncle Will” Russell Wiita

Assistant Chief Wiita responded to an EMS incident with other members of his department. He stood by on the scene and drove the department’s rescue truck. As they returned to the station at the conclusion of the incident, Chief Wiita told other firefighters that he was not feeling well. The incident concluded and Assistant Chief Wiita left the fire station for home at approximately 1700hrs.

When he failed to show up at another firefighter’s home later in the day, the firefighter went to Assistant Chief Wiita’s house to check on him. The firefighter discovered Assistant Chief Wiita dead in his house. He had been dead for some time so there was no chance for resuscitation.

The medical examiner concluded that Assistant Chief Wiita’s death was from a heart attack that had started earlier in the day.

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